(US, 22nd) According to CBS News, a US partner of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), on Sunday (December 21), the US Coast Guard is 'actively pursuing' a sanctioned vessel in international waters near Venezuela.
A US official confirmed that Sunday's pursuit action is related to Venezuela's sanctioned shadow fleet. He said the vessel is flying a false flag and has been ordered seized by a US court.
A US official told CNN that when the US Coast Guard tried to board the ship, the tanker continued sailing, prompting US authorities to take pursuit action. Because the operation is still ongoing, the official did not wish to be named.
According to The New York Times, three anonymous US officials revealed that the US Coast Guard attempted to intercept an oil tanker linked to Venezuela on the 21st. This oil tanker was fleeing the Caribbean Sea.
According to vessel tracking data and a knowledgeable official, the tanker is named Bella 1, flies the flag of Panama, was empty when pursued by the US Coast Guard, and was headed to Venezuela, preparing to load oil.
The US authorities have seized two tankers this month, one of which was seized on Saturday (the 20th).
Oil exports are a key pillar of Venezuela’s economy. The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused the US of attempting to overthrow the current administration in Venezuela, expand military presence in Latin America, and condemned the interception of oil tankers by the US as 'piracy.'
Since September, citing the fight against 'narco-terrorism,' the US has deployed large-scale naval and air forces near Venezuela in the Caribbean. So far, American authorities claim to have sunk about 30 so-called 'drug trafficking vessels' in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in over a hundred deaths. The interception of oil tankers by US authorities has further escalated tensions between the US and Venezuela.
A US official told CNN that when the US Coast Guard tried to board the ship, the tanker continued sailing, prompting US authorities to take pursuit action. Because the operation is still ongoing, the official did not wish to be named.
According to The New York Times, three anonymous US officials revealed that the US Coast Guard attempted to intercept an oil tanker linked to Venezuela on the 21st. This oil tanker was fleeing the Caribbean Sea.
According to vessel tracking data and a knowledgeable official, the tanker is named Bella 1, flies the flag of Panama, was empty when pursued by the US Coast Guard, and was headed to Venezuela, preparing to load oil.
The US authorities have seized two tankers this month, one of which was seized on Saturday (the 20th).
Oil exports are a key pillar of Venezuela’s economy. The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused the US of attempting to overthrow the current administration in Venezuela, expand military presence in Latin America, and condemned the interception of oil tankers by the US as 'piracy.'
Since September, citing the fight against 'narco-terrorism,' the US has deployed large-scale naval and air forces near Venezuela in the Caribbean. So far, American authorities claim to have sunk about 30 so-called 'drug trafficking vessels' in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in over a hundred deaths. The interception of oil tankers by US authorities has further escalated tensions between the US and Venezuela.